1. The theoretical framework underlying psychoanalysis, concerned with the fundamental assumptions and general principles of mental functioning rather than clinical observation alone.
Usage: psychology; psychoanalysis; formal
2. The philosophical study of the nature of the mind and mental processes; the investigation of assumptions underlying psychological theories.
Usage: philosophy; academic

Examples

• Freud's metapsychology attempted to explain the unconscious mechanisms driving human behavior.
• The metapsychology of psychoanalysis includes concepts like the id, ego, and superego.
• Modern psychologists debate the validity of classical metapsychological theories.
• Metapsychology examines the foundational principles that underlie all psychological explanations.
• The course covered both clinical psychology and the metapsychology of various therapeutic approaches.